PITTSBURGH -- For the fourth time in 11 seasons, Nicklas Lidstrom danced with the Stanley Cup last night.
But this time it was different.
This time it was about his heritage and history -- and for the first time ever by a European player in the National Hockey League -- he began the Stanley Cup procession as captain of the Detroit Red Wings, taking the Cup from commissioner Gary Bettman with tremendous purpose and pride.
"It's awesome," said Lidstrom, who took the Cup and passed it to veteran Dallas Drake, who never had won before. Drake then handed it to Newfoundland native Dan Cleary, also a first-time champion.
The end, and the parade of players, as it always is, was emotional and stirring.
In a six-game Stanley Cup final that came awfully close to meeting the expectations of all-time classic, the Red Wings defeated the upstart and brave Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 at Mellon Arena. The result of the game was in doubt until the final buzzer sounded.
Last night was, in fact, a night for the Wings, a night for the long-beleaguered European players, a night for the most complete team in hockey.
A Swede, Henrik Zetterberg, won the Conn Smythe Trophy and scored the series-winning goal. A Finn, Valtteri Filppula, scored the game go-ahead goal. The first goal, scored by Brian Rafalski, was set up by the Russian Pavel Datsyuk and Zetterberg.
And Lidstrom did what he always does, brought a sense of calm and defensive genius to the Wings, playing almost half the game.
"He is the best leader in all of hockey," said coach Mike Babcock, who won his first Stanley Cup.
"I'm so proud of him and all these guys. I'm just proud to be associated with them."
Evgeni Malkin, with his 10th goal of the playoffs and first of the Stanley Cup final, and Marian Hossa scored power-play goals for Pittsburgh.
For Zetterberg, who was handed the Cup by the ancient Chris Chelios -- who didn't play in Game 6 but dressed for the on-ice celebration -- it was his first championship. For Lidstrom and four other Wings -- Kirk Maltby, Kris Draper, Tomas Holmstrom and the not-dressed Darren McCarty -- this was their fourth Cup in 11 seasons.
The four Cups tie this legion of Wings with the legendary Gordie Howe, and gives this group one more championship than Steve Yzerman won as Red Wings captain. Yzerman will get yet another ring, though, as a member of the Red Wings front office.
For the Penguins, the defeat had to be both numbing and uplifting. What more could they have done in the series?
"I'm almost speechless," said the distraught Penguins coach, Michel Therrien. "It's tough when you're that close. It hurts. You can feel the pain from anyone."
After Hossa scored on the power play with less than two minutes left, the Penguins made a late desperate charge to tie the game. The Red Wings called time out with 46 seconds remaining. They didn't want a repeat of Game 5, in which they were scored on in the final seconds of the third period.
But still, it almost happened. Sidney Crosby's backhand was stopped by Chris Osgood, who didn't have to make a lot of saves but made them when it mattered most, but prevented overtime with the stop and had the crowd on its feet in the final seconds when Hossa batted a puck past an open net as the buzzer sounded.
The winning goal by Zetterberg came on a strange play by the otherwise brilliant Marc-Andre Fleury in the third period.
Zetterberg took a wrist shot in the third period, and Fleury seemed to stop the puck but it bounced between his legs and dribbled into the net, helped with a nudge from the goalie's backside.
